Monsanto appeals to India’s Supreme Court

Monsanto Co has appealed to India’s Supreme Court against a ruling by the Delhi High Court which decreed last month that the world’s biggest seed maker cannot claim patents on its GM cotton seeds, a company spokesman said on Friday.

The Delhi High Court last month concurred with Indian seed company Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd (NSL), which argued that India’s Patent Act does not allow Monsanto any patent cover for its genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds.

Monsanto has appealed to the Supreme Court, said a Monsanto India spokesman.

“In the Supreme Court, we’ll maintain our stand that agricultural products, including seeds, cannot be patented in India,” said Narne Murali Krishna, a company secretary for NSL. “The judgment of the Delhi High Court has already vindicated our stand.”

However, India’s Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant a stay on a Delhi High Court ruling that U.S. company Monsanto cannot claim patents on its GM cotton seeds, but the world’s largest seed maker said it is “confident on the merits” of its case.

The case is being submitted for an expedited preliminary hearing on July 18, said a Monsanto India spokesman.

“We remain confident on the merits of the case. India has been issuing patents on man-made biotech products for more than 15 years, as is done widely across the globe,” the Monsanto India spokesman said.